Deputy Premier and Minister for Agriculture Dr. the Honourable Natalio Wheatley has called out the Opposition Leader and his National Democratic Party for allegedly neglecting agriculture in the territory during their last two terms in office.
The Deputy Premier’s comments came in response to criticism made by Leader of the Opposition Marlon Penn during the airing of the National Democratic Radio programme last evening.
Penn accused the Andrew Fahie-led Administration of abandoning the redevelopment plans for the market square project and of neglecting farmers and fisherfolk across the BVI.
In response to those comments which were raised by a caller during the VIP Let’s Talk Radio Programme on Tuesday March 8, Dr. Wheatley called out Penn for the comments, stating that he would be ashamed if he was Penn to speak on the subject of agriculture or sewage in the territory.
He said, “If I am honest with you caller, sometimes I wonder when I hear some of the issues that they discuss. Whether there’s no embarrassment or shame. You can take a look at the sewage issue. In my view if I was in the Leader of the Opposition’s position, I wouldn’t let the word sewage come out of my mouth at all.”
“I would be too embarrassed. I would run and hide every time I heard the word sewage because they actually took the $8 million and put it into the Pier Park. And then it is the same thing with agriculture,” he added.
The minister also listed a few examples of when agriculture was neglected under the NDP Administration.
These included the abandoning of greenhouses which the minister said was valued over $6 million, and the ceasing of many agricultural events such as the Agriculture Exhibition and the Fisherman’s Day on Beef Island which Dr. Wheatley said stopped prior to the hurricanes of 2017.
Dr. Wheatley said that under the VIP, great efforts have been placed on revitalising the agriculture industry in the BVI.
These he said ranged from the new legislative introductions and improvements to ongoing projects such a new poultry initiative which is expected to benefit many farmers in the territory.